Come Out My People!

In this sweeping and transformative approach to biblical interpretation, Wes Howard-Brook presents the Bible as a struggle between two competing "religions": not "Judaism" and "Christianity," but the "religion of creation" versus the "religion of empire."

Howard-Brook demonstrates how, throughout the Hebrew scriptures, these two religions battled for the hearts and minds of the people in claiming radically divergent views of who YHWH is and what it means to be YHWH's people. In the New Testament, Jesus proclaimed and embodied one of these views--the "religion of creation"-- and denounced the "religion of empire." Though he was killed by the upholders of empire, his resurrection was the definitive vindication of the religion of creation. As a consequence, those who follow his path can accept no violence or domination toward people or creation in his name.

While many recent scholars have studied the imperial context of the New Testament, this is the first book to trace this theme throughout the entire Bible. As such, it sets a challenge for the future of biblical studies, while also defining a new framework for radical discipleship in our time.

Wes Howard-Brook teaches at Seattle University. He is author of Unveiling Empire, The Church Before Christianity, and Empire Batpized as well as co-editor of The New Testament: Introducing the Way of Discipleship.